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Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Number 25 • 135 years
Recall election of three city councilors set for July 30 CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
Voters in the City of Cottage Grove are expected to receive a ballot for a July 30 special recall election. The election follows a successful petition drive that garnered enough signatures to recall three Cottage Grove city
MIKE FLECK
CHALICE SAVAGE
councilors: Alex Dreher, Mike Fleck and Chalice Savage.
Good times
Lane County elections officials informed Cottage Grove City Recorder ALEX DREHER Mindy Roberts Friday, June 21, that a sufficient amount of valid voter signatures
were handed in to initiate the recall election for each councilor. All three councilors chose not to resign and must now write a Statement of Justification that will appear on the ballot. This is the second attempt by the Save The Grove Political Action Committee to recall
councilors Mike Fleck and Chalice Savage. Last fall Councilor Jon Stinnett was the third councilor and for this second time the third one is Dreher. Chief Petitioner Mike Borke said after the PAC’s last attempt failed, group members were relieved by the news they collected enough valid signatures to move forward to an
election. “It was a relief after the first go around,” Borke said. “We made sure this time that we had enough signatures and we had a few more checks and balances on the sheets. We believe we had enough signatures the last time but failed due to the many
See RECALL on Page 6
Senior Center celebrates 40th Anniversary supporting seniors
A
CINDY WEELDREYER Cottage Grove Sentinel
place of belonging and source of enjoyment. These were the two driving forces that created Cottage Grove’s Senior Center 40 years ago last month. Center members, volunteers, and well-wishers gathered Wednesday, June 19, to celebrate that milestone with cake and conversation. Back in 1984, thanks to the generosity of Pacific ANY ORGANIZATION Power and Light Co., local seniors leased an unused THAT EXISTED 40 building from the power YEARS AGO THAT IS STILL ALIVE AND company for a token $1 as its temporary home to GROWING IS A TESTAMENT TO THE serve what was an estimated COMMITMENT OF THE 900 senior citizen living in SENIORS WHO MADE Cottage Grove. In an Aug.7, 1985 IT POSSIBLE AND editorial Sentinel Publisher THOSE WHO HAVE SUSTAINED IT FOR SO Bill Hunter wrote, “Developing a permanent LONG. senior center would attract others to move here – one JIM GILROY, FORMER COTTAGE more reason for the city to continue to address the GROVE MAYOR concept of developing a complete community center.”
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Cindy Weeldreyer / Cottage Grove Sentinel City Community Coordinator Teresa Cowan peruses through one of the many memorabilia scrapbooks at the recent Senior Center open house. And the city did. The center’s “temporary” home lasted 15 years until 2000 when the city remodeled a former Safeway store at 700 E. Gibbs Ave. into the current community center and gave local seniors a much bigger space to call home. During the COVID pandemic the city “refreshed” the community center and remodeled the space to have a more open and airy floor plan. Bookshelves loaded with colorful jigsaw puzzle boxes line one wall of the spacious central room. There is
always a puzzle on a nearby table inviting people to pick up the challenge left by the previous person. A kitchenette in the room has a pot of coffee at the ready for Monday’s noontime bingo games, the Wednesday afternoon pinochle games or Thursday’s afternoon table tennis games. Jim Gilroy, a former mayor and Pacific Power See CENTER on Page 6
ODOT launches local curb ramp improvements JEREMY C. RUARK Cottage Grove Sentinel
TODAY’S EDITION
Twenty two percent of Oregon adults have disabilities effecting their mobility. Inaccessible sidewalks and street crossings can be obstacles not only for them, but for any member of the community, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). In 2017, ODOT began work to bring more than 25,000 curb ramps into compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards over the next 15 years. “No matter how
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you move through the area, we want to make your community more accessible,” a release from ODOT states as the agency prepares to launch design and construction improvements of certain curb ramps along Cottage Grove streets. ODOT will be rebuilding or installing over 130 ADA curb ramps in Cottage Grove starting as early as spring 2025 to bring them to current Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. The locations in Cottage Grove include: • OR 99 | Milepost 13.9 to 16.1. • Hillside Drive at
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milepost 173.6. • East Taylor Avenue at milepost 173.4. • East Cottage Grove Connection/Row River Road at milepost 174.6 to 175.2. The work might include: • Minor work, such as fixing a ramp that is too steep or moving pedestrian push buttons at crosswalks. • Installing crosswalk closed signs if a crossing is considered unsafe. • Rebuilding or installing a new ramp if needed. Most corners in the project area only need minor work or signs installed, but some corners will require a full rebuild. Once ODOT reviews
each corner the agency will group and rebuild curb ramps in stages at various locations in the Cottage Grove, the Willamette Valley, and the northwest Oregon Coast. Not all intersections or curb locations are the same, according to ODOT. Some are constructionready and others may have fire hydrants, utility boxes, utility poles, additional land requirements or there is need for an environmental permit. These are factors ODOT considers when scheduling the curb ramp construction in each city. “The constructionready locations are done
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first because they can be done immediately while those needing additional coordination or design will be part of a future stage of construction. This is why an intersection with four corners might be completed at different times,” ODOT said in its release. “By making these accessibility improvements, whether you drive, ride, walk or roll, we are committed to providing the best accessibility possible to all people using the transportation system.” WHY ARE CURB RAMPS IMPORTANT?
ADA curb ramps make it easier for people to move between the sidewalk and road. This can be helpful for those who have trouble stepping up and down high curbs, according to ODOT It’s also helpful for people using wheelchairs, strollers, walkers, hand carts and bicycles. These ramps make it easier for everyone to get around, whether they have a disability or not. When construction begins, you can expect: • Shoulder and lane closures. • Flaggers helping direct traffic as needed. • Delays. • Construction noise.